With all the recent updates and advances in education and the cognitive sciences, it's crucial that we update and advance how we teach. It is time for our practices to reflect a focus on the way people think and learn rather than solely on the product of that learning. This new edition of the bestselling The Brain-Targeted Teaching® (BTT) Model…

For years, the teaching of content-based academic language to multilingual learners has focused on formulas, vocabulary lists, and sentence patterns--often sidelining students' linguistic and cultural strengths. Gisela Ernst-Slavit and Margo Gottlieb address these challenges by embracing academic "languaging," an active, collaborative…

Over the years, careers have transformed to be flexible and changing rather than stable, life-long commitments to an organization. As such, making work meaningful, controlling the work environment, and taking the opportunity to get required training for the next job are as important as the financial advantages. Educators' careers cannot be…

Fueled by two decades of historic immigration, American demographics are changing. Many school districts are often ill prepared to meet the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) students and families. This Teaching Tolerance booklet points administrators to best practices in the effort to create a supportive learning environment for all…

Commissioner's Rules Concerning the State Plan for Educating English Language Learners (ELLs) states that all school districts that are required to provide bilingual education and/or English as a second language (ESL) programs establish and operate a Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC). The LPACs are charged with reviewing all…

Describes Montessori's vision of young children as natural linguists and how home and school can support children's natural abilities in one or more languages. Presents five basic principles of second-language acquisition--related to educational environment, the acquisition process, components of proficiency, and cultural context and time--and…

The author examines adjustment problems of Southeast Asian refugees in the U.S., noting conflict with their traditional orientation to learning and linguistic difficulties in acquiring English. Seven guidelines are offered for teaching, including an emphasis on survival skills and vocabulary and grammar rather than on pronunciation. (CL)

Discusses the importance of paying attention to the psychological and emotional needs of students as learners in a group in order to promote more effective second-language learning. (EKN)

In Minnesota, where nearly 18,000 Indochinese have resettled, educational institutions are concerned with providing immigrants with the necessary support to ease the absorption process. But many Indochinese students face complex difficulties and problems that are not being addressed. As the student passes through four distinct periods of…

Describes the Optimal Learning Environment (OLE) Curriculum, a resource for teachers of Spanish-speaking children, which looks for the upper range of the bilingual child's academic, linguistic, and social skills. Details principles governing the OLE curriculum, including the effect of students' sociocultural background and learning handicaps on…

Content area classes in mathematics, science, and social studies offer many opportunities for students to learn language skills. Teachers of these subjects can be trained to work with students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). The lessons in this training module familiarize teachers with classroom management theory and…

The book outlines approaches and strategies that schools and teachers can adopt to provide educational experiences meeting the needs of all learners in culturally diverse schools and classrooms, especially those in areas in which new immigrants settle. Chapter one provides an overview of the sources of cultural diversity and describes some public…

Teachers working with Asian refugee children describe their approaches to problems involving language acquisition, culture differences, and psychological adjustment. Tips are offered on peer teaching, creating a supportive atmosphere, and English language development. (FG)

This paper discusses the factors that either facilitate or inhibit vocabulary learning and suggests practical classroom techniques for beginning and more advanced students. Vocabulary acquisition is related to the learning situation and to the form, meaning, and grammatical role of the new item in the target language. The focus of the teaching…

This workbook for elementary school teachers is designed to help make their first few weeks of school successful. It provides lesson plans, classroom management strategies, student assessments, and special aids for teaching bilingual students. After an "Introduction" that discusses the ups and downs of a first-year teacher, there are nine…